White, Coker Discuss UFC's Purchase Of MMA Rival Strikeforce

UFC President Dana White Friday appeared on “Inside MMA” to speak about UFC’s recent purchase of MMA rival Strikeforce. He said Strikeforce will not be set up as a feeder league or minor league to UFC. White: “The reason we bought Strikeforce is that we need more fights. … England is losing their mind because there’s not enough fights over there. Ireland, people want to kill me in Ireland. Germany. Australia. Every time we go there we sell out. There is demand for all these fights.” White said the company “must hire 10-12 people a week” to handle the number of fighters. White: “We’ve outgrown the building that we just bought and redid. And we own the building next to it. We’re buying the one in front of us.” Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker noted his organization originally started out as a partnership with Silicon Valley Sports & Entertainment, but said that SVSE officials are “trying to bring another sports franchise to San Jose and want to continue to focus on the hockey team.” Coker: “At that point we started going out there looking for different partners. … When you have a financial partner that wants to leave, you have to start looking for another partner.” White said in the next five years, a UFC Network “makes sense.” White: “Going out and starting your own channel isn’t as easy as it was six or seven years ago. It’s a lot tougher than it used to be, but it does make sense” (“Inside MMA,” HDNet, 3/18).